'Murders will harm 2010 tourism'

2009-10-30 16:00
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Mystery over guesthouse killings

Tshwarelo eseng Mogakane

Mbombela - Mpumalanga's tourism MEC has said the murder of a well-known couple who owned an award-winning restaurant outside Sabie could spark fears about the safety of hosting the 2010 World Cup in the province.

Department of economic development, environment and tourism MEC Jabu Mahlangu labelled the double murder "shocking and cruel" and lamented that it took place "while the world is watching us".

"Tourism is our goldmine in this province, and such barbaric acts could deter people from visiting us. And here we are one of the host cities for the 2010 FIFA World Cup,” he said on Friday.

"This could make potential visitors think twice before using our facilities. We cannot accept this to continue. We hope that the police will leave no stone unturned to bring the perpetrators to book," said Mahlangu.

The MEC said everyone had a right to life and that "no one has a licence to take it".

"We condemn the murder in the strongest possible terms and I send our condolences to the family, relatives and friends of the Steyn couple," said Mahlangu.

Leon and Hetta Steyn were shot with an R5 rifle shortly before 07:00 on Thursday morning in their guesthouse at the disused Hendriksdal Railway Station near Sabie. Next to their house was their well-known restaurant, The Artist's Café, which was highly popular among locals as well as foreign visitors.

Sabie police said the motive appeared to be robbery because the house had been somewhat ransacked, but the robbers fled before they could take anything because they were disturbed by neighbours who came to investigate immediately after hearing the shots.

Acting provincial police commissioner Rex Machabi's spokesperson, Captain Leonard Hlathi, said the case had now been transferred to the Mpumalanga Organised Crime Unit in Nelspruit.

"No person has been arrested yet. We are also appealing to the community to assist the police in tracing down these cold-blooded killers," said Hlathi.


- News24

Comments by Sonny

The R5's connections?

State issued assault weapons.

Sounds like the Third Force was in the area.

Systematic takeover of white businesses in SA.

ANC supports mayor's actions

2009-10-30 19:00


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Corrections, Corruptions and Counterfeits

Pretoria - The ANC in Tshwane on Friday welcomed measures taken by the executive mayor Gwen Ramokgopa to deal with allegations of corruption, mismanagement and maladministration in the city.

"We believe that this bodes well for correcting the governance challenges that are besetting the Tshwane municipality," regional secretary Matome Motloutse said.

"We urge the executive mayor and the municipality to leave no stone unturned in implementing measures that are designed to finally deal with all the allegations of corruption, mismanagement and maladministration."

Motloutse said the ANC resolved to support the leadership of the city administration in implementing measures that would help to turn around the "worrying situation" the city finds itself in.

The city amassed a debt of R3.7bn earlier this year, R800m of which was for services not paid by the residents of Mamelodi.

As of September, the city had reduced its debt book by R20m. By October, it had met its target of reducing its overdraft of R1.2bn to R800m.

Ramokgopa announced a council reshuffle on Tuesday. City manger Kiba Kekana was placed on precautionary suspension on Thursday during a special council meeting, pending investigations into maladministration, irregularities and misconduct against him.

"We strongly support the strengthening of the political leadership and welcome the new members of the mayoral committee," said Motloutse.

He said they also applauded the decision to place Kekana on precautionary suspension.

"We urge the city to move with speed in implementing the decision to investigate and to remove obstacles that may divert attention from issues of service delivery."


- SAPA

News24.Com

Comments by Sonny

Only the ANC supports Gwen Ramokgopa!

The gods really are crazy!

Mac Maharaj appointed 'special envoy'

Oct 30, 2009 3:39 PM | By Sapa

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Former transport minister and veteran ANC and SA Communist Party member Mac Maharaj as been appointed "special envoy", President Jacob Zuma announced.

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Mac Maharaj
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At the same time, Zuma announced the appointment of current South African ambassador to the United States Welile Nhlapo as national security special advisor.

"The Presidency will be greatly strengthened by these appointments," it said in a statement.

"Both individuals bring to their positions extensive experience, expertise and knowledge."

Maharaj played a key role in the negotiation process to South Africa's first democratic elections, and was joint secretary in 1994 of the Transitional Executive Council.

A political activist since the early 1950s, he was a member of the African National Congress's armed wing Umkhonto weSizwe. He went into exile in 1976 after escaping from the house arrest order that was immediately imposed on him in Durban after serving 12 years imprisonment.

After 12 years in exile, Maharaj returned to South Africa as commander of Operation Vula. He served on the ANC National Executive Committee and was a member of the SACP's political bureau and central committee.

Before being appointed ambassador to the US, Nhlapo served as special envoy to Burundi. He was the head of the technical team that assisted then deputy president Zuma in the Burundi negotiations.

In 1995, he was appointed South African ambassador to Ethiopia and permanent representative to the Organisation of African Unity and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

In 1998, he was appointed deputy director general responsible for Africa in the foreign affairs department.

In 2001, he was appointed head of the presidential support unit which advised the Presidency on conflict situations in Africa and the Middle East.

He assumed the post of Ambassador to the US in August 2007.
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Comments
Oct 30 2009 04:00:35 PM
Gazu
Zuma's pay back for Mac's support but then why not, if he has the ability to do the job
Report Abuse Oct 30 2009 04:00:44 PM
Africa_need_No_link_to_europe
Great News and we hope they can push the agenda of ending pink 'white" supremacy in Africa.

Europeans languages that were imposed in Africa by the evil Europeans enslaving and colonizing criminals should be removed from our people mouth and replaced with own languages.

Africa's time of glory is now, speaking our oppressors languages mean we are still bellow them and doing their will.

Ban Europeans languages from Africa and replace them with African languages, we are not their slave anymore, there is no reason for us to continue doing their will, they can speak their own languages.

The Europeans are the cause of the mess in Africa; a proof is how they have turned Zimbabwe into a crisis ridden place with their meddling and economic sabotage.

help us prevent our African names from disappearing by making it compulsory for every born African baby to be given only an African name and encourage those grown up Africans with the slave names the Europeans imposed on us to change their names to African names in order to protect our identity and culture.

The enemy colonialism is going on and this time on the TV, newspaper and their website on the internet.

Our time to end that madness is now; we hope these appointments will work in that direction.

Restoring Africa's humanity is only possible if we become ourselves again and reject being people being forced to be European like we have been turned into right now.
Join our movement to end madness those horrible people are running.
Report Abuse Oct 30 2009 04:02:19 PM
mcritic
Just remind me - was this guy not involved in some major skulduggery which ultimately let him to resign from the Board of a Bank?

Is it a requirement nowadays to have a seriously dented reputation before some appouintment or other is made?

What is this guy going to do in the form of hard work for a massive salary and benefits? Something like negotiations with Mugabe perhaps?

Please enlighten me and indicate whether I am wrong.
Report Abuse Oct 30 2009 04:06:45 PM
TheVillageBoy_with a diploma

Perfect appointment, couldnt have been done it bettyer myself.

Perfect timing.


Sunday Times

Comments by Sonny

Mac is back from the cold.

Let's see him perform in the States!!

Viva Vula!

Judge Joffe refuses to step down

30 October 2009, 12:53

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Judge Meyer Joffe has refused to step down from Jackie Selebi's corruption trial.

And he has painstakingly rebuffed each of Selebi's 16 complaints of bias against him as "ill-founded", "baseless" and "most unfortunate".

In a decision that lasted over an hour, Judge Joffe also refused to withdraw his concerns about the alleged leaking of video footage of star witness Glenn Agliotti to a weekend newspaper.

While Selebi maintained the judge expressed more concern about the leaking of the recording than its contents, which are believed to further discredit Agliotti as a witness.

But Judge Joffe this morning rejected this argument, stating that he was entitled to express his concerns about how the footage came to be shown to a newspaper.

Addressing Selebi's apprehension that the judge should have intervened in prosecutor Gerrie Nel's conduct of the trial, Judge Joffe repeated his earlier sentiment that it was Cilliers' duty to raise such complaints and that he should have done so earlier.

This breaking news flash was supplied exclusively to iol.co.za by the news desk at our sister title, The Star.

For more about this story, carry on watching iol.co.za or click here to subscribe to the digital or print edition of the newspaper.

The Star

Comments by Sonny

This judgement is amazing!

Let's see how far an appeal goes now.

Justice will be seen to be done!

What is transformation in the judiciary?

COLOUR!!

Man killed during house robbery

30 October 2009, 11:03
Armed robbers shot dead a man at his house in Hercules in Pretoria, Gauteng police said on Friday.

Constable Patricia Simelane said the two armed men entered the house at around 11pm on Thursday.

The owner of the house who lived with his wife confronted them and was shot in the upper body and died instantly.

The robbers took his wife's cellphone and fled the scene.

Police were investigating a case of house robbery and murder.

Anyone with information could call Crime Stop on 08600-10111. - Sapa

The Star

Comments by Sonny

Is this how the ANC cadres will systematically eliminate whites in SA!

A Cellular phone was not the motive for this murder!